For decades, the professional narrative has focused on being and acting confident, presenting a positive attitude as a fast-track solution to eliminate self-doubt and boost self-worth. This narrative has been preached in leadership development, sales training, and management skill-building. After all, faking confidence is easier than the hard work of becoming skilled, able, and competent. Perhaps this is why the self-esteem movement marketed confidence as a quick fix, encouraging the "fake it till you make it" mentality. It offered “don’t dream it, be it” hope to those seeking confidence without the effort of skill-building. However, confidence without competence is like a house of cards, ready to collapse at the first breeze of reality.
